Chlorophylls (Chls) harvest the solar energy that drives photosynthesis, which underpins most of the food chains on our planet. Starting from protoporphyrin IX, just seven biosynthetic reactions culminate in the synthesis of Chl a, the major light-absorbing pigment on Earth. Other such pigments, Chls b, c, d and f,

Granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is a cytokine that plays a role in immune modulation. Its expression is associated with a multitude of effects ranging from harmful, as in diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, to beneficial, as in the mitigation of type-1 diabetes an

Phosphatidylinositol 5-phosphate (PI(5)P) plays a crucial role in cellular signaling, cell proliferation, the DNA damage repair response, and gene transcription. However, the underlying mechanism of PI(5)P function in these cellular pathways is poorly understood. This lack of understanding results at least in part,

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are central components of the innate immunity system that can be found in almost all living organisms. They are promising alternatives to conventional antibiotics due to their broad-spectrum activity and reduced susceptibility to resistance. Experimental studies have shown that combina

Peptide-based ligands are well-suited to engage large biomolecular surfaces but are often limited by rapid proteolytic degradation in biological environments. Backbone modification offers a direct means to disrupt protease recognition while preserving side chain functionality; however, many established approaches i

Macrophages play a critical role in sepsis, a life-threatening systemic inflammatory syndrome that necessitates urgent therapeutic intervention. Unfortunately, no approved drugs currently target this specific pathological mechanism. In this study, we identify Igalan, a natural compound that selectively disrupts mac

Lipids, particularly phosphoinositides, are increasingly recognized as important markers and causal regulators in cancer progression. Less appreciated, however, are the functional consequences of changes in phospholipid acyl chain length and saturation. These alterations reshape membrane biophysics and rewire membr